Fixture for scaffolding plate

ABSTRACT

A fixture for scaffolding plates configured to fix two adjacent scaffolding plates onto a pipe, having: a sideways U-shaped holding member; a press plate; and a bolt. An upper portion of the holding member has a thread receiving part configured to threadedly receive the thread portion of the bolt. The upper face of the press plate has a central face through which the bolt penetrates, an ascending face that ascends from the central face to an outer side, and a descending face that descends from the ascending face to an outer circumferential edge of the press plate. An altitudinal position of the head of the bolt is set to be substantially the same as or lower than an altitudinal position of the upper face of the press plate that is a connecting line between the ascending face and the descending face, thereby improving safety.

FIELD

This disclosure relates to a fixture for fixing scaffolding plates to apipe (single tube).

BACKGROUND

Fixtures for fixing scaffolding plates to a pipe in flying-scaffoldinghave been conventionally proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Patent Document 1 discloses a fixture for scaffolding plates, where asideways U-shaped engaging member can be engaged with a pipe from alateral direction by sliding along side edges of the scaffolding plateswith a press plate being positioned on an upper side of the scaffoldingplates. The scaffolding plates can thereby be fixed to the pipe withoutcausing a worker to lean toward a front side of the scaffolding plateson the pipe, reducing a risk for the worker to fall from the scaffoldingplates.

Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 5581459

SUMMARY

On the other hand, safety is important for scaffolding, and it has beendemanded to further improve safety of various types of scaffolding toolsincluding a fixture for scaffolding plates.

An object of this disclosure is therefore to provide a fixture forscaffolding plates that improves safety.

To achieve the object, this disclosure is configured as follows.

One aspect of the disclosure provides a fixture for scaffolding platesconfigured to fix two adjacent scaffolding plates onto a pipe,comprising: a sideways U-shaped holding member configured to hold thepipe by engagement with the pipe in a lateral direction; a press plateconfigured to press the scaffolding plates from above against the pipeheld by the holding member, the press plate having a circular outercircumference; and a bolt configured to penetrate a central portion ofthe press plate, the bolt comprising a head and a thread portion, thehead being arranged on a side of an upper face of the press plate, thethread portion extending downward from the head and penetrating thecentral portion of the press plate to extend to a side of a lower faceof the press plate, and the bolt being integrally fixed to the pressplate, wherein an upper portion of the holding member has a threadreceiving part configured to threadedly receive the thread portion ofthe bolt, wherein the upper face of the press plate comprises a centralface through which the bolt penetrates, an ascending face that ascendsfrom the central face to an outer side, and a descending face thatdescends from the ascending face to an outer circumferential edge of thepress plate, and wherein an altitudinal position of the head of the boltis set to be substantially same as or lower than an altitudinal positionof the upper face of the press plate that is a connecting line betweenthe ascending face and the descending face.

The fixture for scaffolding plates of this disclosure can improvesafety.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a fixture according to anembodiment.

FIG. 2 is a bottom perspective view of the fixture according to theembodiment.

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal-section view of the fixture according to theembodiment.

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal-section view of the fixture according to theembodiment.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the fixture according to the embodimentafter fixed.

FIG. 6A is a longitudinal-section view of a bolt and a press plateaccording to the embodiment.

FIG. 6B is a top perspective view of the bolt and the press plateaccording to the embodiment.

FIG. 7A is a flowchart of a method for fixation by the fixture accordingto the embodiment.

FIG. 7B is a flowchart of a method of releasing the fixation by thefixture according to the embodiment.

FIG. 8A is a schematic side view for explaining the fixation method inaccordance with the flowchart of FIG. 7A.

FIG. 8B is a schematic rear view for explaining the fixation method inaccordance with the flowchart of FIG. 7A.

FIG. 9A is a schematic side view for explaining the fixation method inaccordance with the flowchart of FIG. 7A.

FIG. 9B is a schematic rear view for explaining the fixation method inaccordance with the flowchart of FIG. 7A.

FIG. 10A is a schematic side view for explaining the fixation method inaccordance with the flowchart of FIG. 7A.

FIG. 10B is a schematic rear view for explaining the fixation method inaccordance with the flowchart of FIG. 7A.

FIG. 11A is a schematic side view for explaining the fixation method inaccordance with the flowchart of FIG. 7A.

FIG. 11B is a schematic rear view for explaining the fixation method inaccordance with the flowchart of FIG. 7A.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

An embodiment according to the present invention will be described indetail below with reference to the drawings.

Embodiment

FIGS. 1 to 5 show outer appearances of a fixture 1 for scaffoldingplates according to the embodiment.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, the fixture 1 includes a holding member 2, abolt 3, and a press plate 4.

The holding member 2 is configured to hold a pipe 5 described later (seeFIGS. 3 to 5). The bolt 3 is integrally fixed to the press plate 4 andconfigured to be threadedly engaged with the holding member 2. The pressplate 4 is configured to press two scaffolding plates 6 (see FIGS. 4 and5) to sandwich the scaffolding plates 6 between the press plate 4 andthe pipe 5 held by the holding member 2. According to thisconfiguration, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the two scaffolding plates 6adjacent to each other can be fixed to the pipe 5 by sandwiching thescaffolding plates 6 between the pipe 5 and the press plate 4, with theholding member 2 holding the pipe 5. Hereinafter, explanation for theholding member 2, the bolt 3, and the press plate 4 will be made.

The holding member 2 includes a main body 7 and a locking part 8.

The main body 7 is configured to be directly in contact with the pipe 5to hold the pipe 5. The main body 7 has a sideways U-shape that enablesto hold the pipe 5 on an inner side of the main body 7. In the sidewaysU-shape, one side is open (on a left side in FIG. 3) such that the pipe5 can be inserted. With respect to the pipe 5, an insert direction ofthe main body 7 is denoted by “A”.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, an upper half of the main body 7 is referredto as “upper portion 7 a” and a lower half of the main body 7 isreferred to as “lower portion 7 b”. A thread receiving part 26 is formedon the upper part 7 a. The thread receiving part 26 is configured toreceive a thread portion 3 b of the bolt 3. On an inner side of thethread receiving part 26, a female thread is formed to be threadedlyengaged with the thread portion 3 b of the bolt 3. The thread receivingpart 26 according to the embodiment is formed as a cylindrical-shapedpart that slightly protrudes upward from the upper portion 7 a of themain body 7.

The locking part 8 is provided on the lower portion 7 b of the main body7.

The locking part 8 is configured to lock the pipe 5 inserted in the mainbody 7. The locking part 8 urges the pipe 5 in the main body 7 toward aninner side of the main body 7. The locking part 8 is fixed to the lowerportion 7 b of the main body 7 and is arranged in a housing space 28described later. The locking part 8 in this embodiment is a platespring.

The main body 7 has the housing space 28 formed therein, which extendsfrom one end 7 c to the other end 7 d of the main body 7. The housingspace 28 is configured to house the locking part 8 and to house thethread portion 3 b that is a tip portion of the bolt 3. The housingspace 28 in this embodiment is continuously formed in the total lengthof the main body 7 along an extending direction in which the main body 7extends. As shown in FIG. 1, etc., the housing space 28 is open toward aside to be in contact with the pipe 5 by the main body 7.

The main body 7 is configured by bending a member having across-sectional shape that is U-shaped with all corners in straightangles into a U-shape with round corners. According to thisconfiguration, a significant weight reduction can be realized comparedto a solid structure without a housing space, thereby improvingworkability and safety for a worker to handle the fixture 1.

The bolt 3 extends in a vertical direction to connect the press plate 4and the holding member 2 with each other. The bolt 3 is integrallyformed with the press plate 4, penetrating a central portion of thepress plate 4.

The bolt 3 includes a head 3 a and the thread portion 3 b.

The head 3 a is configured to engage with a rotating tool (for example,a hex wrench) that is configured to rotate the bolt 3. The head 3 a isarranged on a side of the upper face of the press plate 4. The head 3 aof this embodiment is formed to have a hexagonal column shape.

The thread portion 3 b is configured to threadedly engage with thethread receiving part 26 and extends downward from the head 3 a. A malethread is formed on an outer circumferential face of the thread portion3 b. The male thread of the thread portion 3 b corresponds to the femalethread of the thread receiving part 26. In this embodiment, the malethread is formed on the overall outer circumferential face of the threadportion 3 b.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, etc., the thread portion 3 b is formed toextend on the side of the lower face of the press plate 4 so as topenetrates the central portion of the press plate 4. In this embodiment,the thread portion 3 b is welded to the central portion of the pressplate 4 and the bolt 3 is thereby integrally fixed to the press plate 4.

The press plate 4 is configured to press the scaffolding plates 6 (seeFIGS. 4 and 5) toward the pipe 5 held by the holding member 2. The pressplate 4 of this embodiment has an outer shape of a substantiallytruncated corn shape and the central portion thereof has the bolt 3penetrating therethrough. The press plate 4 of this embodiment is madeby curving a circular flat plate whose thickness is uniform.

The press plate 4 includes a lower face 14 and an upper face 15.

The lower face 14 is a bottom face on a lower side of the press plate 4.The lower face 14 functions as a face for pressing the scaffoldingplates 6 toward the pipe 5. As can be seen also from FIGS. 1 and 2, thelower face 14 has a circular outer shape when seen from a directionperpendicular to the lower face 14.

The upper face 15 is an upper face on an upper side of the press plate4. As shown in FIG. 1, etc., the upper face 15 is inclined to descendfrom an inner side toward an outer side in a radial direction of thepress plate 4.

The lower face 14 and the upper face 15 are connected with each other attips of their outer circumferences. The tips correspond to an outercircumference 20 as a side face of the press plate 4.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, in this embodiment, a hex wrench 19 is usedas a rotating tool to rotate the head 3 a of the bolt 3. The hex wrench19 may be, for example, an impact wrench or an electric ratchet. Theouter shape of the head 3 a of the bolt 3 is the hexagonal column shapeas described above to be adapted to the hex wrench 19.

A groove 17 is formed between the head 3 a and the upper face 15. Thegroove 17 enables the hex wrench 19 to access the head 3 a of the bolt3.

In this embodiment, the altitudinal position of the head 3 a of the bolt3 is set to be a position that does not exceed the altitudinal positionof the upper face 15. Such a configuration avoids any upward protrudingof the head 3 a of the bolt 3 from the upper face 15.

In this embodiment, the holding member 2, the bolt 3, and the pressplate 4 are all made by a stainless steel.

A detailed shape of the press plate 4 will be described with referenceto FIGS. 6A and 6B. FIG. 6A is a longitudinal-section view of the pressplate 4, and FIG. 6B is a top perspective view of the press plate 4.

As shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the upper face 15 includes a central face15 a, an ascending face 15 b, and a descending face 15 c, which arearranged sequentially from an inner side of the upper face 15.

The central face 15 a is a face formed on a side that is closest to thecenter of the upper face 15. A central portion of the central face 15 ahas the bolt 3 inserted therethrough. The central face 15 a has athrough-hole formed therein for the thread portion 3 b of the bolt 3 topenetrate therethrough. The thread portion 3 b and the central face 15 ahas been welded to each other such that the thread portion 3 b isinserted into the through-hole of the central face 15 a. In thisembodiment, the central face 15 a and a bottom of the head 3 a are alsowelded to each other. The central face 15 a of this embodiment is aconcentric face (that is, a horizontal face) that extends in a directionperpendicular to a direction (that is, the vertical direction) for thethread portion 3 b to extend.

The ascending face 15 b is formed on an outer side of the central face15 a. The ascending face 15 b is a face that ascends from the centralface 15 a toward the outer side. The ascending face 15 b of thisembodiment smoothly ascends from the central face 15 a. A connectingpoint of the ascending face 15 b and the central face 15 a forms acurved face. On the outer side of the connecting point, the ascendingface 15 b extends in a straight line, forming a constant slope angle “α”with respect to a horizontal plane.

The descending face 15 c is formed on the outer side of the ascendingface 15 b. The descending face 15 c is a face that descends from theascending face 15 b toward the outer side. The descending face 15 c ofthis embodiment smoothly descends from the ascending face 15 b. Aconnecting point of the descending face 15 c and the ascending face 15 bforms a curved face. On the outer side of the connecting point, thedescending face 15 c extends in a straight line, forming a constantslope angle “β” with respect to the horizontal plane.

The descending face 15 c is connected to the outer circumference 20 atan outermost edge.

In this embodiment, the slope angle “α” of the ascending face 15 b isset to be greater than the slope angle β of the descending face 15 c.Such a setting of the slope angles can suppress stumbling of a workerover the press plate 4 on the scaffolding plates 6, in particular, bylowering the slope angle “β” of the descending face 15 b, therebyimproving the safety.

The slope angle “α” may be, for example, 15° to 35° and the slope angle“β” may be, for example, 40° to 60°.

A border line between the ascending face 15 b and the descending face 15c is a connecting line 21. The connecting line 21 is a circumferentialline that connects the ascending face 15 b and the descending face 15 c.The connecting line 21 forms a curved face that smoothly curves from theascending face 15 b to the descending face 15 c. Forming the curved facecan suppress stumbling of the worker over the press plate 4 on thescaffolding plate 6, thereby improving the safety.

The connecting line 21 of this embodiment corresponds to the highestaltitudinal position of the upper face 15.

A lower face 14 includes a central face 14 a, an ascending face 14 b,and a descending face 14 c, which are opposite to the central face 15 a,the ascending face 15 b, and the descending face 15 c, respectively.

As described above, the press plate 4 is made from a plate having auniform thickness. Also, shapes and slope angles of the central face 14a, the ascending face 14 b and the descending face 14 c are the same asthose of the central face 15 a, the ascending face 15 b, and thedescending face 15 c. Thus, explanation of the central face 14 a, theascending face 14 b and the descending face 14 c will be omitted.

In this embodiment, the central face 15 a of the upper face 15 and thecentral face 14 a of the lower face 14 are each configured as a flatface (a horizontal face). Especially, configuring the central face 14 aof the lower face 14 as flat can increase a contact area of the lowerface 14 with the scaffolding plates 6, thereby robustly fixing thescaffolding plates 6 and improving the safety.

In this embodiment, as to the lower face 14, an altitudinal position ofthe central face 14 a and an altitudinal position of the outermost(outer circumferential edge 22) of the descending face 14 c are set tobe the same (see a dotted line R in FIG. 6A). Such a configuration canset the central face 14 a and the outer circumferential edge 22 at thelowermost points of the lower face 14 so as to function as bottoms forpressing the scaffolding plates 6. Thus, the scaffolding plates 6 can bepressed from both sides of inner side by the central face 14 a and outerside by the outer circumferential edge 22, thereby achieving a goodbalance for pressing the scaffolding plates 6 and a stable fixation ofthe scaffolding plates 6.

In this embodiment, a gap is formed beneath the ascending face 14 b andthe descending face 14 c of the lower face 14. The ascending face 14 band the descending face 14 c forms a concave space 24 by denting thelower face 14 of the press plate 4 toward the side of the upper face 15.When the scaffolding plates 6 are pressed by the press plate 4, theshape of the lower face 14 of the press plate 4 tends to be deformed tocorrespond to recesses, protrusions, and the like on the surface of thescaffolding plates 6, with the help of the concave space 24. Thescaffolding plates 6 can thereby be more robustly fixed and the safetycan thereby be improved.

A method of fixing the scaffolding plates 6 to the pipe 5 using thefixture 1 shown in FIGS. 1 to 6B, and a method of releasing the fixationwill be described below with reference to FIGS. 7A, 7B, 8A, 8B, 9A, 9B,10A, and 10B. FIG. 7A shows an example flowchart of a method of fixingthe scaffolding plates 6 to the pipe 5, and FIG. 7B shows an exampleflowchart of a method of releasing the fixation. FIGS. 8A, 8B, 9A, 9B,10A, and 10B are longitudinal-section views and rear views forexplaining operations based on the flowchart shown in FIG. 7A.

Firstly, a fixture 1 is prepared (step S1). For example, a fixture 1shown in FIG. 1 or 2, etc. is prepared, where the bolt 3 and the holdingmember 2 has been connected to each other in advance by inserting thethread portion 3 b of the bolt 3 into the thread receiving part 26 ofthe holding member 2. Because the bolt 3 and the press plate 4 areintegrally configured and the bolt 3 is threadedly engaged with theholding member 2, a worker can hold the press plate 4 so as to operatethe overall fixture 1 including the holding member 2, the bolt 3, andthe press plate 4.

The holding member 2 is inserted into a gap between the scaffoldingplates 6 (step S2). For example, as shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, the twoscaffolding plates 6 are arranged adjacent to each other on the pipe 5,and then a worker holding the press plate 4 of the fixture 1 inserts themain body 7 of the holding member 2 into the gap between the scaffoldingplates 6 (see an arrow B).

Then, the holding member 2 is engaged with the pipe 5 and holds the pipe5 (step S3). For example, the worker holding the press plate 4 engagesthe holding member 2 to the pipe 5 under the scaffolding plates 6 (FIGS.9A and 9B). At this time, the main body 7 is moved to be close to thepipe 5 from a side that is open of the sideways U-shaped main body 7(see an insertion direction A). When the main body 7 is further moved,the pipe 5 is brought into contact with the locking part 8 of theholding member 2 (FIG. 9A).

When the main body 7 is further inserted in the insertion direction A,the locking part 8 descends downward (see an arrow F), and then the pipe5 is arranged in the main body 7. The locking part 8 locks the pipe 5inserted in the main body 7 (FIG. 10A).

Then, the bolt 3 and the press plate 4 are rotated (step S4). Forexample, as shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B, a hex wrench 19 as a rotationalmechanism is engaged with the head 3 a of the bolt 3. In this state, thehex wrench 19 is rotated in a circumferential direction P of the pressplate 4, thereby rotating the press plate 4 in a direction (downward) tomove toward the scaffolding plates 6 (see an arrow C).

When the press plate 4 is further rotated, the central face 14 a and theouter circumferential edge 22 of the lower face 14 (FIGS. 6A and 6B)reach upper faces of the scaffolding plates 6. Applying a further forceto rotate the hex wrench 19 can robustly press the press plate 4 againstthe scaffolding plates 6.

FIGS. 11A and 11B (and also FIG. 5) show a state after fixation of thescaffolding plates 6 by the fixture 1. Performing steps S1 to S4 canpress and fix the scaffolding plates 6 between the press plate 4 and thepipe 5, with the holding member 2 holding and locking the pipe 5. Insuch a way, the scaffolding plates 6 can be fixed to the pipe 5.

As shown in FIG. 5, the press plate 4 in a fixed state is exposed on thescaffolding plates 6. The upper face 15 of the press plate 4 includesthe descending face 15 c to have a descending shape from the inner sidetoward the outer side. Also, the bolt 3 has been set at a position wherethe bolt 3 does not protrude upward from the press plate 4, and the head3 a of the bolt 3 is stored in the groove 17. Such a configuration canimprove the safety compared to a configuration where the upper face andthe lower face of the press plate extend in parallel to each other (thatis, an outer shape of the press plate is circular column), or aconfiguration where the head of the bolt protrudes from the press plate(that is, the head is not stored in the groove). Thus, stumbling of theworker over the press plate 4 on the scaffolding plates 6 can besuppressed, thereby improving the safety.

A general-purpose leased item is often used as the scaffolding plate 6and, in such a case, a plurality of types of its thickness are present.The fixture 1 of this embodiment can adjust an threading amount of thebolt 3 into the holding member 2, with ensuring a structure where thebolt 3 is prevented from extending above the upper face 15 of the pressplate 4, thereby adapting to a plurality of types of thickness of thescaffolding plate 6. Thus, stumbling of the worker over the press plate4 can be suppressed, thereby improving the safety.

For releasing the fixation of the scaffolding plates 6 by the fixture 1,steps S1 to S4 only have to be conducted in the reverse order (FIG. 7B).That is, rotating the bolt 3 and the press plate 4 in the reversedirection can release pressing of the scaffolding plates 6 by the pressplate 4 (step S5).

Then, holding of the pipe 5 by the holding member 2 is released (stepS6). For example, the worker who is holding the press plate 4 moves thepress plate 4 such that the main body 7 moves in a direction to leavethe pipe 5 (that is, a direction opposite to the insertion direction A).The pipe 5 can thereby be pulled out from the main body 7 and theholding of the pipe 5 by the main body 7 can be released.

In this embodiment, the locking part 8 is provided, so when the pipe 5is being pulled out from the main body 7, an external force larger thana predetermined force needs to be applied. Thus, the pipe 5 is preventedfrom being carelessly disengaged from the main body 7, thereby improvingthe safety.

Then, the holding member 2 is pulled out from the gap between thescaffolding plates 6 (step S7).

Conducting steps S5 to S7 can release the fixation of the scaffoldingplates 6 by the fixture 1.

As described above, the fixture 1 of this embodiment configured to fixthe two scaffolding plates 6 adjacent to each other onto the pipe 5includes the holding member 2, the bolt 3, and the press plate 4. Theupper face 15 of the press plate 4 includes the central face 15 a, theascending face 15 b, and the descending face 15 c, and the altitudinalposition of the head 3 a of the bolt 3 is set to be lower than thealtitudinal position of the connecting line 21 between the ascendingface 15 b and the descending face 15 c, that is the altitudinal positionof the upper face 15 of the press plate 4.

Setting the upper face 15 of the press plate 4 to have a descendingshape that descends toward the outer circumference 20 by providing thedescending face 15 c on the upper face 15 can suppress stumbling of theworker over the press plate 4, thereby improving the safety. Also,setting the altitudinal position of the head 3 a of the bolt 3 to belower than the altitudinal position of the upper face 15 of the pressplate 4 can prevent stumbling of the worker caused by being hooked bythe head 3 a of the bolt 3 on the press plate 4, thereby improving thesafety. In this manner, the safety after the fixation of the scaffoldingplates 6 can be improved.

Integrally configuring the bolt 3 with the press plate 4 by fixing thebolt 3 to the press plater 4 can improve handling convenience of thebolt 3 and the press plate 4 and also can fix the fixture 1 morerobustly, compared to a case where a bolt 3 and a press plate 4 areseparated from each other.

According to the fixture 1 of this embodiment, as to the lower face 14of the press plate 4, the ascending face 14 b and the descending face 14c form the concave space 24. The descending face 14 c of the lower face14 may be referred to as “first opposing face” that is opposite to thedescending face 15 c of the upper face 15. The ascending face 14 b ofthe lower face 14 may be referred to as “second opposing face” that isoppose to the ascending face 15 b of the upper face 15.

This configuration where the lower face 14 of the press plate 4 isdented can lower an weight of the press plate 4 compared to aconfiguration where a lower face 14 of the press plate 4 is not dentedbut is formed to be flat. Thus, handling convenience of the press plate4 can be improved, thereby improving the safety. The concave space 24can facilitate deformation of the press plate 4 in accordance with thesurface shapes of the scaffolding plates 6 with recesses andprotrusions, thereby pressing the scaffolding plates 6 robustly withinhibiting an influence of the surface shapes of the scaffolding plates6. Thus, a fixation stability can be enhanced.

According to the fixture 1 of this embodiment, as to the upper face 15of the press plate 4, the connecting line 21 connecting the ascendingface 15 b and the descending face 15 c forms a curved face that issmoothly curved from the ascending face 15 b toward the descending face15 c. Such a curved face that is smoothly curved between the ascendingface 15 b and the descending face 15 c can suppress stumbling of theworker over the connecting line 21, compared to a case where aconnecting line 21 is configured as a folded line, thereby improving thesafety.

According to the fixture 1 of this embodiment, as to the upper face 15of the press plate 4, the slope angle “β” of the descending face 15 c isset to be smaller than the slope angle “α” of the ascending face 15 b.Setting of the slope angle “β” of the descending face 15 c, that islikely to be stepped on by a worker after the fixation, to be smallerthan the slope angle “α” of the ascending face 15 b can suppressstumbling of the worker, thereby improving the safety.

According to the fixture 1 of this embodiment, the thickness of thepress plate 4 is uniform. According to this configuration, the pressplate 4 can easily be manufactured by bending a plate having a uniformthickness. Also, the weight of the press plate 4 can be suppressed.Further, denting shape of the lower face 14 of the press plate 4 can beachieved.

According to the fixture 1 of this embodiment, as to the lower face 14of the press plate 4, the outer circumferential edge 22 present at thelowermost position of the press plate 4 configures a bottom for pressingthe scaffolding plates 6. According to this configuration, thescaffolding plates 6 can be pressed using the outer circumferential edge22 of the press plate 4, thereby fixing the scaffolding plates 6 morestably to enhance the fixation stability.

According to the fixture 1 of this embodiment, as to the lower face 14of the press plate 4, the central face 14 a is formed to be flat and tobe at the same altitudinal position as that of the outer circumferentialedge 22. The central face 14 a of the lower face 14 may be referred toas “third opposing face” that is opposite to the central face 15 a ofthe upper face 15.

According to this configuration, when the scaffolding plates 6 arepressed, the inner side thereof is pressed using the central face 14 aand the outer side thereof is pressed using the outer circumferentialedge 22, thereby achieving good press balance for the scaffolding plates6. Thus, the fixation stability can be enhanced.

According to the fixture 1 of this embodiment, the main body 7 of theholding member 2 forms the housing space 28 that extends from the oneend 7 c to the other end 7 d. According to this configuration, theweight of the holding member 2 can be reduced compared to a case wherethe housing space 28 is not provided. Thus, workability for handling thefixture 1 can be improved and the safety can be improved. Further, aspace for disposing the thread portion 3 b of the bolt 3 and the lockingpart 8 in the holding member 2 can be ensured.

This disclosure has been described with reference to the embodiment butthis disclosure is not limited to the embodiment. For example, in theembodiment, the head 3 a of the bolt 3 is set to be lower than theconnecting line 21 that is the altitudinal position of the upper face 15of the press plate 4, but it is not limited thereto. For example, evenwhen the head 3 a of the bolt 3 is set to be at an altitudinal positionsubstantially the same as that of the upper face 15 of the press plate4, stumbling of the worker over the press plate 4 can be suppressed andthe safety can be improved. In such a case, the altitudinal position ofthe head 3 a of the bolt 3 is not limited to be perfectly the same asthat of the upper face 15 of the press plate 4, and may be slightlyhigher than that of the upper face 15 by an amount with which stumblingof the worker can be suppressed effectively.

In the embodiment, as to the lower face 14 of the press plate 4, theascending face 14 b and the descending face 14 c form the concave space24, but not limited thereto a solid structure may be employed instead ofthe concave space 24. However, providing the concave space 24 can reducethe weight of the fixture 1 and also can set the shape of the pressplate 4 to be adapted to recesses, protrusions, etc. formed on thesurface of the scaffolding plates 6.

In the embodiment, as to the upper face 15 of the press plate 4, theconnecting line 21 constitutes the curved face, but it is not limitedthereto. Both of the overall faces of the ascending face 15 b and thedescending face 15 c may be formed to be flat and its connecting linemay constitute a folded shape. However, when the connecting line 21constitutes the curved face, stumbling of the worker can be suppressedmore effectively.

In the embodiment, as to the upper face 15 of the press plate 4, theslope angle “β” of the descending face 15 c is set to be smaller thanthe slope angle “α” of the ascending face 15 b, but the slope angles arenot limited thereto. For example, the slope angle “β” of the descendingface 15 c may be set to be larger than or equal to the slope angle “α”of the ascending face 15 b. However, setting the slope angle “β” of thedescending face 15 c to be smaller than the slope angle “α” of theascending face 15 b can suppress stumbling of the worker moreeffectively.

In the embodiment, the press plate 4 is made by curving a plate whosethickness is uniform, but it is not limited thereto. For example, thepress plate 4 may be made by curving a plate whose thickness is notuniform. However, making the press plate 4 by curving a plate whosethickness is uniform, the weight of the press plate 4 can be suppressedto be light, and the concave space 24 can be formed on the lower face 14of the press plate 4 such that the lower face 14 can have a shapeadapted to recesses, protrusions, and the like of the scaffolding plates6.

In the embodiment, as to the lower face 14 of the press plate 4, theouter circumferential edge 22 and the central face 14 a present at thelowermost positions constitute the bottoms for pressing the press plate4, but it is not limited thereto. For example, the altitudinal positionof the lower face 14 may be set such that only the outer circumferentialedge 22 or only the central face 14 a presses the press plate 4.Alternatively, the altitudinal position of the lower face 14 may be setsuch that a portion other than the outer circumferential edge 22 and thecentral face 14 a presses the press plate 4.

In the embodiment, the lower face 14 and the upper face 15 of the pressplate 4 includes flat portions and/or curved portions, but not limitedthereto may each have recesses, protrusions, and the like.

In the embodiment, the housing space 28 is provided in the holdingmember 2, but not limited thereto the holding member 2 may have a solidstructure without the housing space 28. However, providing the housingspace 28 can suppress the weight of the holding member 2 to be light andalso can ensure a space for disposing the thread portion 3 b and thelocking part 8 therein.

In the embodiment, the thread receiving part 26 is a cylindrical partthat protrudes upward from the upper portion 7 a of the main body 7, butit is not limited thereto. Any thread receiving part that can receivethe thread portion 3 b of the bolt 3 may be provided, including a threadreceiving part that is made by welding a nut to the upper portion 7 a ofthe main body 7, for example.

In the embodiment, the thread portion 3 b of the bolt 3 can be insertedinto and pulled out from the thread receiving part 26, but it is notlimited thereto. The thread portion 3 b of the bolt 3 may be fixed tothe receiving part 26, for example by threadedly engaging the threadportion 3 b with the thread receiving part 26 and then swaging the tipof the thread portion 3 b to increase its width, to avoid any fallingoff from the thread receiving part 26. According to this configuration,any falling of the thread portion 3 b from the thread receiving part 26can be prevented, and handling convenience of the fixture 1 and thesafety can be improved.

In the embodiment, the locking part 8 is a plate spring, but not limitedthereto any locking part that locks the pipe 5 in the main body 7 may beused.

In the embodiment, the bolt 3 and the press plate 4 are integrallyconfigured by welding the thread portion 3 b of the bolt 3 to the mainbody 7 of the press plate 4, but not limited thereto a means differentfrom welding may be used for fixing the bolt 3 and the press plate 4 toeach other.

In the embodiment, the hex wrench 19 is used as a rotational mechanismfor rotating the press plate 4, and the outer shape of the head 3 b ofthe bolt 3 is also a hexagonal column shape, but it is not limitedthereto. Any mechanism that can rotate the head 3 a of the bolt 3 may beused, where the outer shape of the head 3 a of the bolt 3 corresponds tothe mechanism.

In the embodiment, the holding member 2, the bolt 3, and the press plate4 are all made from the same stainless steel, but not limited theretothe material thereof may be other material. Also, different materialsmay be used for the holding member 2, the bolt 3, and the press plate 4(for example, metal and plastic). As to the holding member 2, thematerial of the main body 7 and the material of the locking part 8 maybe different from each other.

In the embodiment, a male thread is formed on the overall outercircumferential face of the thread portion 3 b, but not limited theretothe male thread may be formed only on the lower portion of the threadportion 3 b that is configured to be threadedly engaged with the threadreceiving part 26, without forming a male thread on the upper portion ofthe thread portion 3 b, for example.

This disclosure is applicable to a fixture for fixing scaffolding platesto a pipe.

By properly combining any of the aforementioned various embodiments, theeffects possessed by them can be produced.

The present invention has sufficiently been described in relation to thepreferred embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings, butvarious changes and modifications thereof are apparent for those skilledin the art. Such changes and modifications should be understood to beencompassed therein as far as not departing from the scope of thepresent invention described in the appended claims.

The disclosed content of the specification, the drawings, and the claimsof Japanese Patent Application No. 2016-006245 filed on Feb. 28, 2016 isincorporated herein in its entirety by reference.

What is claimed is:
 1. A fixture for scaffolding plates configured tofix two adjacent scaffolding plates onto a pipe, comprising: a sidewaysU-shaped holding member configured to hold the pipe by engagement withthe pipe in a lateral direction; a press plate configured to press thescaffolding plates from above against the pipe held by the holdingmember, the press plate having a circular outer circumference; and abolt configured to penetrate a central portion of the press plate, thebolt comprising a head and a thread portion, the head being arranged ona side of an upper face of the press plate, the thread portion extendingdownward from the head and penetrating the central portion of the pressplate to extend to a side of a lower face of the press plate, and thebolt being integrally fixed to the press plate, wherein an upper portionof the holding member has a thread receiving part configured tothreadedly receive the thread portion of the bolt, wherein the upperface of the press plate comprises a central face through which the boltpenetrates, an ascending face that ascends from the central face to anouter side, and a descending face that descends from the ascending faceto an outer circumferential edge of the press plate, and wherein analtitudinal position of the head of the bolt is set to be substantiallythe same as or lower than an altitudinal position of the upper face ofthe press plate that is a connecting line between the ascending face andthe descending face.
 2. The fixture for scaffolding plates according toclaim 1, wherein the lower face of the press plate includes a firstopposing face that is opposite to the descending face of the upper faceand a second opposing face that is opposite to the ascending face of theupper face, wherein the first opposing face and the second opposing faceform a concave space by denting the lower face of the press plate towarda side of the upper face.
 3. The fixture for scaffolding platesaccording to claim 1, wherein on the upper face of the press plate, theconnecting line between the ascending face and the descending face formsa curved face that is smoothly curved from the ascending face toward thedescending face.
 4. The fixture for scaffolding plates according toclaim 1, wherein on the upper face of the press plate, a slope angle ofthe descending face is set to be smaller than a slope angle of theascending face.
 5. The fixture for scaffolding plates according to claim1, wherein a thickness of the press plate is uniform.
 6. The fixture forscaffolding plates according to claim 1, wherein on the lower face ofthe press plate, the outer circumferential edge of the press plate at alowermost position in the press plate constitutes a bottom of the pressplate for pressing the scaffolding plates.
 7. The fixture forscaffolding plates according to claim 1, wherein on the lower face ofthe press plate, a third opposing face that is opposite to the centralface is formed to be flat and to be at an altitudinal position the sameas that of the outer circumferential edge of the press plate.
 8. Thefixture for scaffolding plates according to claim 1, wherein the holdingmember has a housing space on an inner side thereof for housing a tipportion of the thread portion of the bolt threadedly received with thethread receiving part, and wherein the housing space is formed from oneend to the other end of the holding member along an extending directionof the holding member.